Oiks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term used to describe a person who is perceived as vulgar or unsophisticated, often associated with lower social class
2. Referring to an individual who displays boorishness or a lack of refinement, typically in manners or behavior
3. Denoting someone whose lifestyle or demeanor is seen as uncultured or lacking in social grace

Etymology: "Oiks" is the plural of "oik," a British slang noun for a rude, vulgar, or uncultivated person. The word is usually used by people who want to mark someone as lacking polish, and it has a distinctly class-conscious edge, which is part of why it stuck in British English. The origin of "oik" is unknown, and the word seems to have appeared in the early twentieth century. One suggested explanation is that it is onomatopoeic, imitating the sound of uncultivated speech, though this remains a guess rather than a proven derivation. Because the word has no clear source in older English, it is best understood as a piece of informal slang that arose and spread without a documented inventor.

Synonyms: chavs, yobs, louts, hooligans, boors

Antonyms: gentlemen, ladies, aristocrats